Help for English Students

Answer the Damn Question Part III: Exemplar

One of the most useful things for students to study is an exemplar response, or an answer that received good marks. Recently I have been talking with my students about adding an “extra layer” of explanation to their Section I responses. By this I mean making the link between the technique identified and the effect of the technique explicit. One of my students recently did this really well on a 3 mark question in a practice Section I. I have included the text and the question to give you some context.

The Chosen by David Ireland

Used by permission of the publisher, Random House.

Question: How does the narrator evoke the experience of belonging in the landscape?

The narrator evokes an experience of belonging in the landscape by describing how “she loved to be alone with the fields of grass.” This idea of belonging to the landscape is reinforced with the metaphor of the sky as a “blue ceiling.” This conjures ideas of a house, and of protection, with nature “making her feel at home.” This idea of the landscape being personal and protecting her is continued in the simile, “like an overcoat, which fitted.” As overcoats provide protection from the elements and the “which fitted” add the personal aspect and shows her sense of connection to the landscape.

See how this student has explained the connotations the metaphor of the ceiling and the simile of the overcoat? This is what I mean by the extra layer. It’s the bit between “technique” and “belonging”.

This answer was composed under timed conditions. Thanks to Josh for allowing me to use it.